FinanceFinance Information Server (FIS) FAQs

On the main FIS page click on 'FIS' tab in the top menu bar and then click on your required option from the following list:

Account Hierarchy / Signatory

This screen displays:

• All open / closed GL accounts linked to the queried budget account
• Current information on authorised signatories, budget report recipients and on-line access users for the queried budget account.

Budget On-line Enquiry

This screen displays:

• Current budget balances and whether open / closed
• Summary budget information for a specified period
• Monthly breakdown of income / expenditure / transfers(virements) / commitment
• List of transactions for a selected period / type
• Full details of selected transactions

General Document Enquiry

This screen displays:

• Purchase ledger documents
• Sales ledger documents
• General ledger documents

Purchase Order Enquiry

This screen displays:

• Purchase order details
• Matched purchase invoice details
• Cheque Payment details

Budget Transfer Enquiry

This screen displays details of budget transfers

The FIS can be operated using normal 'point and click' and menu functions, however, the following keys can also be used:

Some screens on FIS have a set of standard buttons at the top. These perform the following actions:

To check who is an authorised signatory or budget report recipient for one of your budgets:

1. From the FIS top menu select "Account Hierarchy / Signatory"
2. Enter the budget account number

Using a mouse:

1. Click the 'Execute' button
2. Click the 'Sig.' button
3. To exit from the screen click 'Exit' then 'OK'

Using a keyboard:

1. F12
2. Page Down
3. Return
4. To Exit: F4, Left Arrow, Return

To check your budget balance:

1. From FIS menu select 'Budget On-line Enquiry'
2. Enter the budget account number

Using a mouse:

1. Click the 'Execute' button
2. To exit the screen, click the 'Exit' button and then click 'OK'

Using a keyboard:

1. F12
2. Page Down
3. Return
4. To Exit the screen, F4, Left Arrow, Return

To check transactions processed against your budget:

1. From FIS menu select 'Budget On-line Enquiry'
2. Enter the budget account number

Using a mouse:

1. Click on the 'Execute' button
2. Click on the 'Summary' button
3. Click on the 'Summary' button
4. Click on the 'Months' button
5. Move the cursor to the required month and transaction type field, then click.
6. Click on the 'Breakdown' button
7. Click the '>' button to highlight the selected transaction
8. Click the 'document' to display transaction details.

If the transaction is an invoice matched to order, [Y] will be displayed in the 'Match Ord' field. Double click in field to display order details.

If the transaction is a paid invoice, [Y] will be displayed in the 'Match Doc' field. Double click in field to display payment details.

To exit:

1. Click the 'Back' button
2. Then click the 'Exit' button
3. Then click the 'OK' button

Using a keyboard:

1. F12
2. Page Down
3. Page Down
4. Page Down
5. Use Up / Down and Return keys as necessary to place cursor into required month and transaction type field
6. Page Down
7. Use Up / Down keys to highlight selected transaction
8. Page Down to display transaction details

If the transaction is an invoice matched to order, [Y] will be displayed in the 'Match Ord' field. Use Return to place cursor in field and edit (Alt F2) to display order details.

If the transaction is a paid invoice, [Y] will be displayed in the 'Match Doc' field. Use Return to place cursor in field and edit (Alt F2) to display payment details.

To exit:

1. F4,
2. F4,
3. Left Arrow,
4. Return

To view transactions processed against your budget in a previous financial year:

1. From FIS menu select - Budget on-line Enquiry
2. Enter the budget account number

Using a mouse:

1. Click on the 'Execute' button
2. Click on the 'Summary' button
3. Click on the '<' button as necessary to display the required financial year
4. Click on the 'Summary' buttton
5. Click on the 'Months' button
6. Move the cursor to the required month and transaction type field, then click
7. Click on the  'Breakdown' button
8. Click on the '>' button to highlight the selected transaction
9. Click on the 'Document' button to display transaction details

If the transaction is an invoice matched to order, [Y] will be displayed in the 'Match Ord' field. Double click in the field to display order details.

If the transaction is a paid invoice, [Y] will be displayed in the 'Match Doc' field. Double click in the field to display payment details.

To exit:

1. Click on the 'Back' button
2. Then click on the 'Exit' button
3. Then click on the 'OK' button

Using a keyboard:

1. F12
2. Page Down
3. Up Arrow as necessary to display required financial year
4. Page Down
5. Page Down
6. Use Up / Down and Return keys as necessary to place cursor into required month and transaction type field
7. Page Down
8. Use Up / Down keys to highlight selected transactions
9. Page Down to display transaction details

If the transaction is an invoice matched to order, [Y] will be displayed in the 'Match Ord' field. Use Return to place cursor in field and edit (Alt F2) to display order details.

If the transaction is a paid invoice, [Y] will be displayed in the 'Match' Doc field. Use Return to place cursor in field and edit (Alt F2) to display payment details.

To exit:

1. F4,
2. F4,
3. Left Arrow,
4. Return

This screen displays transactions that have been processed through the purchase, sales and general ledgers provided they have been charged to a budget to which you have viewing access.

Queries can be performed on the following:

• Document reference
• External reference
• Supplier
• Customer
• Payee
• Cheque number
• Batch
• Till receipt

Navigation within this screen using the mouse or keys is as described in other options.

The majority of FIS users will find it easier and quicker to access budget and transaction information by going directly through the budget enquiry screen or using the order enquiry option.

To check the current status of your order:

1. From FIS menu select 'Purchase Order Enquiry'
2. Enter the Purchase Order number

Using a mouse:

1. Click the 'Execute' button
2. To exit the screen, click the 'Exit' button and then click 'OK' 

Using a keyboard:

1. F12
2. To Exit the screen, F4, Left Arrow, Return

To check if a supplier invoice has been paid:

1. From FIS menu select - Purchase Order Enquiry
2. Enter your purchase order number 

Using a mouse:

1. Click the 'Execute' button
2. If Y in Match Inv field, double 'click' in field
3. If Y in Paid field, double 'click' in field
4. To exit the screen, click the 'Exit' button and then click 'OK' 

Using a keyboard:

1. F12
2. If Y in Match Inv field, edit (Alt F2)
3. If Y in Paid field, edit (Alt F2)
4. To Exit: F4, Left Arrow, Return

Having found an individual transaction on FIS, it is possible to see a scanned copy of the document processed by Finance

The following documents are available to view (and save or print if necessary)

• Purchase orders
• Purchase invoices
• Expense claims
• Fee and expense claims (non-University Staff)

The images are available as '.tif' documents.

It is the aim of the Finance Office that the documents will be available to view generally within 48 hours of the document being processed.

To view the images, simply click the red button marked 'View Image' at the bottom of the screen on FIS.

This will display a dialogue box giving three options:

• Open
• Save
• Cancel

There are two reasons why you may not be able to view Images on FIS:

• Browser settings may require to be changed
• Microsoft updates can have an effect on the user's ability to view electronic images on FIS as the file type used for the electronic images (.tif) is removed from the available options

Instructions for changing browser settings

The following changes to your browser settings should allow images to pop up when you click on the red button on a transaction screen in the Finance Information Server.

In Windows Internet Explorer (v6 or v7) please perform the following three changes:

From the toolbar:

Select 'tools' and click on internet options:

1. Click on the security tab
2. Click and highlight internet zone
3. Click on custom level button
4. Scroll down to the downloads section and in the automatic prompting for file downloads option set to enable
5. Click OK

Click on the privacy tab:

1. If the 'turn on pop up blocker' box is ticked then click on the settings button (note: if unticked, then exit without making any changes)
2. In the box 'address of website to allow' type the following *.mis.strath.ac.uk
3. Click add
4. Click close

Click on the advanced tab:

1. In the 'browsing' section untick the enable third-party browser extensions option
2. Click OK

Note: If, after completing the above changes you are still experiencing problems viewing images, please consult your Departmental Computing Officer or contact the relevant IT Services Help Desk ( Ext 4000).

Instructions for re-instating .tif file type and setting default viewer

It has been identified that certain Microsoft updates can have an effect on the user's ability to view electronic images on FIS as the file type used for the electronic images (.tif) is removed from the available options.

Users with this problem should perform the following checks:

1. Click on start button
2. Click on my computer
3. Click on tools
4. Click on folder options
5. Click on view tab
6. Within 'hidden files and folders' ensure 'show hidden files and folders' option is selected

Then:

1. Click on file types tab
2. Click new
3. In file extension box type tif
4. Click OK

If the tif extension displays 'open with Microsoft Document Imaging' then click OK.

Otherwise, to change default viewer, click change:

1. From list highlight Microsoft Office Document Imaging
2. Click OK
3. Click close

Note: If, after completing the above changes you are still experiencing problems viewing images, please consult your Departmental Computing Officer or contact the relevant IT Services Help Desk (Ext 4000).

Using a mouse: click the 'Exit' button 

Using a keyboard: To Exit: F4

All queries about access to budget accounts or about budget transactions themselves should be directed to the Finance Office.

• By e-mail: budget.enquiries@strath.ac.uk
• By telephone: ext. 2766
• By internal mail: Budget Enquiries, Finance Office

You can also refer to our Budget Enquiries Page within the Finance Office website.

If you experience hardware or systems problems, contact the IT Help Desk in the first instance.

You'll need the following information when you get in touch:

• System account login
• Extension number where you can be contacted
• A brief description of your problem
• A note of any error messages that the system displayed

Contact:

• By e-mail: helpdesk@strath.ac.uk
• By telephone: ext. 4000 Option 1
• By Internal mail: IT help Desk, Curran Building

Check that all parts of your terminal or pc are correctly connected together and that the power is switched on. If all appears correct, contact the person who normally deals with computer related queries within the department, in case of possible equipment failures.

f the login prompt appears but you are having difficulty logging in, check that you are using the correct user name and password.

If, after three attempts, you have still failed to login successfully, contact the IT Help Desk (Ext 4000 option 3) and your login account will be checked.